Submitted by Lee Dobson, Area Director, NC Government Affairs (GAO)

Last week, Chief Government Affairs Officer Dave Totaro and I started our three-day trip across the Carolinas in Columbia with a productive meeting on rates with Bryan Kost, Chief Legislative Liaison SC Department of Health & Humans Services.  We are looking for support for a rate increase for next session.  Further, as a way to connect with staff on issues and share our advocacy message, we visited our offices in Columbia, Charleston, Southport, and Fayetteville.  These round table discussions help us better understand care delivery challenges and identify ways we can help.  Lastly, we were thrilled to have met Brock, an adorable 18 month-old boy, and his family near Charleston.  After 9 months in the hospital, he was ready to come home with the support of nursing.  Home visits remind us why we go to work every day and how important it is for each of us to advocate for quality home health care.